Chris Hemsworth Picks CAA As New Agency

EXCLUSIVE:Chris Hemsworth is proving to be a go-to young guy for big ticket Hollywood fare. Particularly after Marvel’s Thorand The Avengers and also Universal’s Snow White And The Huntsman. He is starring in Thor 2 and will lead DreamWorks/Fox’s Steven Spielberg-directed Robopocalypse and receive $10 million from CBS Films to play a terrorist hunter in American Assassin. So which agency will represent Hollywood’s hottest new action hunk is big news. I can now tell you it is CAA. Insiders tell me one of his reasons for choosing Bryan Lourd and Jack Whigham was because their agency reps a lot of other Marvel top talent like Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannsen. There was a feeding frenzy when Hemsworth decided to take new agency meetings with CAA, WME, UTA, and ICM starting after Labor Day when he decided to leave IFA Talent president Ilene Feldman after 4 years. That also meant CAA was no longer hamstrung by its no-poaching agreement with Feldman. I heard the problems with Feldman developed first around the negotiations for Thor 2 and intensified around the time Spielberg decided to cast him in mid-July. The actor is staying with ROAR Management’s William Ward who discovered him about 5 years ago when Hemsworth was still just an Australian TV star.

54 Comments

Snidely Whiplash • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Flash forward 15 years. Hopefully Chris will have made (and kept) major bank– since CAA continues to assure him they’re doing the best they can to represent him… While they’re really only holding on so the NEW “Chris Hemsworth” (whom they also represent) gets all the best new action roles.

Great scoop, Nikki.

Stacy • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Great move by Hemsworth and ROAR/Will. Bryan Lourd is the best agent in town. Onward and upward.

Dan • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

He proved he can lead a franchise spinoff with Thor, but he would never get the big bucks with IFA. This is a movie everyone should have seen coming.

Whether or not CAA was the right place for Hemsworth, I think that going there because they rep other Marvel talent is actually a mistake. While he’s a hot commodity at the moment he could easily wind up in a situation where his agents have a conflict of interest since his and, say, Downey’s, interests don’t align on an upcoming Marvel project.

Ted • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Used to be business as usual when stars signed with CAA. Now it’s surprising. How things change.

RT • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Was just thinking the same thing. More talent seems to be going out the door than in!

Deanna • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Wow.

SO… now, Robert Downey Junior, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are all with CAA. As are a few other AVENGERS actors, methinks.

Marvel, you are so fucking SCREWED. Looks like CAA will have you over a barrel whether you like it or not, now that they’ve consolidated repping your AVENGERS talent.

Dan • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

If I’m not mistaken CAA has Joss Whedon too.

Jeremy • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

And Jeremy Renner and Scarlet Johannsen

reality • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Think again. Marvel has no qualms with replacing actors, as they did with Terrence Howard on Iron Man. No continuity? No problem with Marvel.

Anonymous • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

That’s because Howard was awful, and nobody was going to the movie because of him. With the rest of the cast I’d say it’s about 50/50 on whether they could be replaced without it impacting the box office.

Jeremy • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Yeah, but now we’re talking about white lead actors who people pay attention to…big difference.

Anonymous • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Howard was probably recast because he’s virtually unwatchable, not because he’s black…

What do Samuel L Jackson, Ving Rhames, Danny Glover, Morgan Freeman and Will Smith have in common? All are black actors who have been parts of major franchises start to finish because they either open movies (like Jackson and Smith) or are just way too good to replace for their respective roles, be they starring or supporting. Some examples of said franchises are:

Tell that too all of the white guys who have been replaced as either Batman or James Bond over the years.

HammerOfTheCastingGods • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Yeah, Marvel! Hand over the coin of the realm or Chris Evans will go make PUSH2: PUSH HARDER. And as for RDJr, you think that’s just a suit anyone can fill?? Ha! You thought that about SPIDER-MAN and Toby and… uh… never mind, actually. As you were…

Anonymous • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

ICM got a meeting?

Anonymous • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Yes, the only way Will was able to get a meeting at ICM was if Chris agreed to come along.

Greg Paradiso • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Untrue. They’ll have leverage to better everybody’s deals. Trickle-down will occur from Downey’s deal additionally the franchise possibilities will be exponential for everybody. He will be a very rich (even richer guy.) But will he ever be able to get back to acting chops? With that resume such as it is that’s the challenge. All the other “Avengers” are making a point of that happening – the best part of being a movie actor with dough – you have the luxury and can stretch with a “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” making you even more of a movie star with depth and resonance for possible future roles and as you age.

Charles • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

“The actor is staying with ROAR Management’s William Ward who discovered him about 5 years ago when Hemsworth was still just an Australian TV star.”
When you say “just an Australian TV star” it doesn’t bring to mind “discovering” an actor you know, “at the mall” “walking down the street” even “in a play.” Reminds me of Tracy Brennan bragging about “discovering” Johnny Depp after seeing him on 21 JUMP STREET.

charles • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

…of course I meant Tracey Jacobs. Sorry.

Word2YourMother • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Speaking of Ilene and Johnny, wasn’t she the that really discovered him?

nada • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Thank you. You got it right.

Just the Facts • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Signing someone off an Australian soap opera IS discovering them. Nobody would have touched this guy then. Chris Hemsworth has had the fastest trajectory in Hollywood. Do you really think agents were swarming around Johnny Depp on the set of 21 Jump Street because they knew he was going to be a movie star??? C’mon.

MoveOver • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

jack whigham is an incredibly underwhelming agent….yet his political elbowing seems to be working.

Star Killer • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Underwhelming?? Look at all the things he’s done for Shia since signing him! Wait. Okay. Nevermind.

Jinjeon • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

He has five-six years in him being hot commodity then he wind up on a TV show. Mark my words. And I really like the guy but he’s no Tom Cruise or Will Smith.

Thor's Hammer • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

He’s better than Tom or Will they are not nearly as macho as Chris is. He could wipe the floor with both of them.

Anonymous • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Doesn’t matter; they were minted in a different era, back when studios wanted stars with real staying power. The paradigms are shifting and I think they’ve realized the old model was just too expensive; better to “churn and burn”. The only way Hemsworth has that kind of staying power is if he, too, gets into the producing business and quickly.

Agent101 • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

The most interesting thing about this post is the name-checking of Bryan Lourd. Caa has always lived by the anonymity of the individual agent and pushed forward the power of the pack thus clearing the way for ari Emanuel to become the most famous agent in the world. Too little too late for BL. He has been eclipsed.

Another Agent • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Name checking must be the way now for CAA! BL is not the best agent in town! I don’t understand why this is a surprise. Most saw it coming. It might work for now but long term is the key and CAA can’t help long term, just short quick money NOW!

Curious • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Curious what the problems with Feldman were?

He got Thor and all the others with her, so what happened?

WhoaBaby • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Lots of cash in the Ward House!

veteran uk agent • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Hemsworth for Christian Grey!

cuz he's good • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Whigham is effective because he’s a good guy- plain and simple. That actually translates into good business. I like him because he tells the truth and is humble. Way more power in those things than his list. Oh yeah- and he actually likes cool shit and knows what cool shit looks like. taste!

Grande • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

Don’t get the fuss about his guy, AT ALL. He was terrible in Thor

JK • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

I. Know. Right. He will blow off though, after the franchises are done he’ll blow off. I wish I could say the same about Channing Tatum, I’m afraid that dude won’t blow off, he’ll probably blow up even more..

in the know • on Oct 12, 2012 11:59 am

What a BIG and exciting day for Will Ward, he finally get’s to sit at the big boys table! let’s see how long it will take for CAA to kick him to the curb like they did when they wanted Julien Mcmahon. Hang on Will!